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The Handmaid's Tale Author, Margaret Atwood, Auctions A Special Unburnable Edition Of Her Novel To Protest Book Burning In America

"Because powerful words can never be extinguished."

The Handmaid's Tale Author, Margaret Atwood, Auctions A Special Unburnable Edition Of Her Novel To Protest Book Burning In America

Margaret Atwood turned The Handmaid's Tale into a symbol of dystopian fear, and now she has turned it into something else entirely. The author and Penguin Random House created a special unburnable edition of the novel to push back against book banning in America.

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The project comes at a time when Atwood's most famous work is still one of the most challenged books in the country. Instead of treating the controversy like a footnote, she leaned into it with a fireproof version designed to make a point.

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It is a dramatic protest, and the final reveal is every bit as bold as the book itself.

Margaret Atwood, along with the publishing giant Penguin Random House, released a special edition of The Handmaid's Tale

Margaret Atwood, along with the publishing giant Penguin Random House, released a special edition of The Handmaid's TaleYouTube: Penguin Random House / The Unburnable Book: Margaret Atwood’s THE HANDMAID'S TALE
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To protest the archaic book banning currently happening in America

To protest the archaic book banning currently happening in AmericaYouTube: Penguin Random House / The Unburnable Book: Margaret Atwood’s THE HANDMAID'S TALE
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They published an "unburnable" version of Atwood's classic

They published an "unburnable" version of Atwood's classicYouTube: Penguin Random House / The Unburnable Book: Margaret Atwood’s THE HANDMAID'S TALE

This is not the first time The Handmaid's Tale has been subjected to immense scrutiny, so to speak

This is not the first time The Handmaid's Tale has been subjected to immense scrutiny, so to speakYouTube: Penguin Random House / The Unburnable Book: Margaret Atwood’s THE HANDMAID'S TALE

But this is the first time the book actually cannot be burned

But this is the first time the book actually cannot be burnedYouTube: Penguin Random House / The Unburnable Book: Margaret Atwood’s THE HANDMAID'S TALE

The production of this book took two months

The production of this book took two monthsYouTube: Penguin Random House / The Unburnable Book: Margaret Atwood’s THE HANDMAID'S TALE

They had to carefully plan which materials to use for this symbolic version

They had to carefully plan which materials to use for this symbolic versionYouTube: Penguin Random House / The Unburnable Book: Margaret Atwood’s THE HANDMAID'S TALE

And if you thought book burning was intense, a family feud over Grandma’s secret pancake recipe sparks a competition meltdown.

With the help of master craftsman Jeremy Martin, Atwood's dystopian classic was forged anew

With the help of master craftsman Jeremy Martin, Atwood's dystopian classic was forged anewYouTube: Penguin Random House / The Unburnable Book: Margaret Atwood’s THE HANDMAID'S TALE

The book can reportedly withstand heat up to 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit or 1,426 degrees Celsius

The book can reportedly withstand heat up to 2,600 degrees Fahrenheit or 1,426 degrees Celsiustherealmargaretatwood

To test the book's fireproof durability, the author herself ignited the flames

To test the book's fireproof durability, the author herself ignited the flamesYouTube: Penguin Random House / The Unburnable Book: Margaret Atwood’s THE HANDMAID'S TALE

With a flamethrower in hand, 87-year-old Margaret Atwood burned her most beloved yet most contested work

With a flamethrower in hand, 87-year-old Margaret Atwood burned her most beloved yet most contested worktherealmargaretatwood

The moment couldn't be captured better than this

The moment couldn't be captured better than thisYouTube: Penguin Random House / The Unburnable Book: Margaret Atwood’s THE HANDMAID'S TALE

It took months of planning before the unburnable version could be successfully published.

They had to conduct multiple trials and errors before finding the right materials, first for the fire-resistant pages, then for the cover, and the ultimate test was finding a binding that wouldn't fall apart once the book burning commenced.

Nolite Te Bastardes Carborundorum

Nolite Te Bastardes CarborundorumYouTube: Penguin Random House / The Unburnable Book: Margaret Atwood’s THE HANDMAID'S TALE

The special unburnable edition of The Handmaid's Tale was put up for auction

The special unburnable edition of The Handmaid's Tale was put up for auctionYouTube: Penguin Random House / The Unburnable Book: Margaret Atwood’s THE HANDMAID'S TALE

If the novel is strong enough to fight for feminism, then it's definitely strong enough to raise awareness about the rampant book censorship in America

If the novel is strong enough to fight for feminism, then it's definitely strong enough to raise awareness about the rampant book censorship in AmericaPenguin Random House Presents The Unburnable Book

You can watch the whole clip below:

The fireproof edition of Margaret Atwood's The Handmaid's Tale was auctioned for several days. The entire proceeds from the auction were donated to PEN (Poets, Playwrights, Editors, Essayists, Novelists) America, which is leading the charge against the censorship crisis.

The winning bid was $130,000. Margaret Atwood is not one to back down from a fight; they weren't successful in trying to keep her quiet before, and this time, fire can't dampen her indomitable spirit.

Want more chaos over who pays, read about a roommate’s reckless apartment fire and the rent fight that followed.

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